Lessons of Love
by KeiChanz
Summary: Kagome takes a stroll through the park one night after work and encounters a young girl. Shouldn't she be in school with the rest of the children her age? The two instantly bond, but bonding with her father is going to take a little more extra time. InuKa
1. Approaching your Student to Bes Guardian

Welcome, one and all, to my newest addition**, Lessons of Love**!

This has been on my computer for a _loooong_ time, and I'm very excited to finally be able to post it up! I can't _wait_ to see what kind of response this gets. I'm quite proud with how this turned out, and I must have reread it, like, one hundred times. Squee! I _really_ hope you enjoy it because I _really_ enjoyed writing it!

Read on!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in this story but I do own this plot line and the adorable little girl, Shaninri.

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**Lessons of Love  
Lesson One: Approaching your student-to-be's guardian**

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_Stand up straight, appear intelligent, keep eye contact with the guardian and always smile. You always want to make a good impression on your student-to-be's parents at the first meeting so be prepared for anything that he or she might throw at you. But remember to always keep your temper in check, no matter how rude or arrogant one of them - namely the father - might turn out to be. And be sure to watch your tongue. You don't want the child to be running around at home screaming a vulgar word at the top of his or her lungs._

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The cool night air was pleasant on the young schoolteacher's face and she closed her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips as she stood amidst the colored leaves that scraped past her feet, carried by the gentle breeze of October. Wrapped in a warm fleece jacket to ward off the chill, Kagome sighed contently and slid her hands in her pockets for added warmth, enjoying the peace and quiet of the village park that she normally didn't get at work. Gooseflesh ignited on her legs though, since they were not covered up. Damn that stupid skirt policy…

Being the first grade teacher that she was, Kagome would often end her day at work with a migraine, or if she was lucky, a slight headache just behind the eyes. That one seemed to have taking a liking to her as of late and Kagome vaguely wondered if she needed to buy another bottle of Ibuprofen.

Chuckling softly under her breath, Kagome shook her head slightly and sighed again, chocolate eyes fluttering open to scan the empty park. It was six o'clock; she had needed to stay late for a conference meeting in the faculty room. She wasn't very fond of those meetings, especially when Hojo attended them. He had arrived at tonight's meeting at the last minute, though everyone wasn't that surprised. Since Hojo was an Elementary substitute teacher _and _a High School Health teacher, he was busier than the rest of the teachers and staff there, so it was no big surprise that he was late.

And of course, he had taken the seat closet next to Kagome, which just so happened to be the seat right next to her. Typical. And to make matters even worse, the Elementary School principle, an over-confident wolf demon named Kouga had growled when he scooted a bit too close to her.

Thinking of Hojo's current profession as a Health teacher caused Kagome to chuckle softly again, her raven tresses wafting about her face as she shook her head fondly. If fits him, she decided. When Kagome and Hojo had been in grade school together, Kagome would miraculously become sick with some illness or another and Hojo, being the concerned friend that he was, would always visit her at her house and with him would bring some sort of medicine or gift that would help her get better. He would even sometimes stay and help her with her back work that she'd miss or help her study for an upcoming test. Of course she appreciated his efforts, but he just couldn't take a hint. She only valued him only as a good friend, not a boyfriend.

Frowning slightly and wrinkling her nose, Kagome mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "Get a life" before sighing for the third time and turning to head back to her warm car. Remembering what she was doing in the park anyway, her earlier smile returned.

She had just decided to make a small detour to the park instead of her house where she would have to begin Monday's schedule for the hyper little children that made up her class. Of course, she could always make it tomorrow, or even Sunday, but she liked to get it done and out of the way so she wouldn't have to worry about it later. She hardly ever had time enough to relax and enjoy life's simple pleasures, like taking a stroll in the park of buying an ice cream just for the hell of it. Her own _apartment _wasn't even as quiet as the park, especially with her new rowdy neighbors. She suspected one of them to be a teenager, but she hasn't had the time to catch them returning home or walking out the door.

Shrugging it off, Kagome was just about to round a picnic table to get to her car when the telltale squeaking of a swing swinging back and forth paused her in her steps and she blinked, her brow furrowing. _I could've sworn there was nobody else here,_ Kagome thought with slight confusion, turning back around to scan the area once more. The squeaking continued and she found herself walking toward the playground section of the park, the squeaking becoming louder as she neared.

Finally the swings came into view and Kagome's eyes widened as she caught sight of a small figure sitting on the squeaky contraption, swinging back and forth innocently and seemingly oblivious to everything around them.

Kagome's eyebrows rose into the think fringe of her raven bangs as she stared at what looked like a little girl swinging on the plaything. What was a child doing here all alone in the park with no supervision? Was she lost? Did something happen?

Immediately concerned, Kagome continued her way toward the swing-set to the little girl who had ceased her swinging when she caught sight of the older woman making her way toward her.

Kagome slowed her walk when the girl hopped off and stood there, watching as the unfamiliar woman stopped a few feet in front of her. The child blinked owlishly up at her with bright amber eyes, innocence shining within the golden depths. Kagome noticed her current attire of a long, fuzzy gray button up coat with big black buttons that ended a few inches below her knees that hid anything else that she might be wearing from view. Small little black dress shoes adorned her feet and to complete the look, atop her head of shoulder-length snowy hair sat a red French beret. _How cute, _Kagome thought absently.

She smiled kindly down at the young girl and took a step closer to her, feeling something akin to gratitude when she didn't step back. Kneeling before her, Kagome tilted her head to the side slightly, kind smile still in play on her lips.

"Hey there, sweetie," Kagome began softly. "Where are your mom and dad? Are they near by or are you lost?" she asked, looking around for any other adults that might be this girl's parents.

The young child shook her head, her silvery strands swaying with the movement. "Um, no ma'am, I'm not lost. I's waiting for Daddy to come from the potty. He said that he would be back, um, soon," she elaborated, staring at her with wide, shy eyes.

Kagome arched a brow but nodded. What father would leave his daughter all alone with no one to look after her? And in an empty park, no less?

She brushed that thought away and smiled instead. "Well, okay then. Would you mind if I stayed here with you until your daddy comes back?" Kagome asked, not exactly liking the concept of having such a cute little girl being left alone. Who knew when her father would come back, even if it _was_ just a bathroom break?

The child blinked at her then nodded, smiling shyly. "Okie. Um, what's your name?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I'm Kagome." She replied kindly. "What's yours, sweetheart?"

The girl smiled brightly at her. "I'm Shaninri!" She said proudly and Kagome had to stifle a giggle.

"Shaninri," Kagome echoed. She smiled. "That's a pretty name. I like it."

Shaninri giggled and nodded. "Me too! And yours is pretty, too." Then suddenly, the girl swung around and hopped back on the swing, her small hands grasping the chains holding the swing up. She looked up at her pleadingly. "Can you pwease play with me, Miss 'Gome?" Shaninri asked innocently, a hopeful smile on her pink lips.

Kagome blinked at the sudden change in the girl. At first she seemed meek and quiet, now she was smiling and all giggles. Shaking her head, Kagome smiled back at her and stood up, walking behind the girl.

"Of course I will, Shaninri." She replied then grasping the chains her hands, Kagome leaned down and said, "Hold on," before pulling back then pushing forward, Shaninri's laughter piercing the quiet of the park.

"Whee!" she squealed, a broad smile on her lips as the pretty lady pushed her. She liked this woman, Shaninri decided. She was playing with her!

Kagome laughed with the young girl, pushing her gently on the back when she came swinging back toward her and Shaninri's delighted squeals of laughter echoed throughout the empty park and it was music to Kagome's ears. She absolutely adored children, part of her reason for deciding to be a teacher. She got to work with them everyday.

A few more minutes of swinging and pushing passed by and finally Kagome confessed that her arms were getting a little tired out and she sat down next to the girl, opposite the direction Shaninri was facing.

Shaninri continued to swing by herself for a moment or two then finally creased all swinging and just sat there, a bright, happy smile adoring her young features.

Kagome smiled at her but then a thought just occurred to her and she didn't know why she hadn't thought about it sooner.

"Shaninri," Kagome started, a slight frown marring her features. "What grade are you in?"

The girl blinked at the question then looked thoughtful before answering, "Um…my daddy says I's in first grade."

_First…_ Her frown deepened and she opened her mouth to say something but Shaninri interrupted her.

"Daddy!" she suddenly chirped then quickly hopped off her swing and ran toward the figure that was approaching them.

Standing up, Kagome turned around and watched as Shaninri ran into her father's open arms and she could hear her laughter as he stood up with her in his arms and swung her around once then gave her a hug before setting her back down to talk to her. Apparently their subject of conversation was about her when Shaninri half-turned and pointed out Kagome.

Kagome just stood there patiently as her father followed the direction she was pointing in and nodded before standing back up, letting his daughter grab onto his pant leg as he walked toward her.

Coffee orbs widened when she got a good look at Shaninri's father. _Oh…my…_

Long silver hair cascaded down his back to end at his waist and piercing amber orbs, just like his daughter bore into her own. Although his facial features were set in a mild scowl of mistrust, he could easily pass off as handsome with his high cheekbones and strong jaw set with determination. His neck looked thick with strength, holding that handsome head up and Kagome had to resist the urge to lower her eyes down his body to the chest that she knew would be nicely toned with muscles.

_Yup…that's _definitely_ her father… _But what really caught her attention were the two fuzzy triangles protruding from his head that flicked toward her as he stopped a few feet away from where she was standing.

She had to resist the urge to let her law job somewhere in the same region as her feet. _He's a…dog hanyou?_ Kagome thought, her gaze automatically drifting down to his hands where she saw the sharp claws in place of human fingernails. _Oh yeah… a dog hanyou alright…_

Her gaze then shifted to Shaninri's small hands and her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the same claws sporting her fingertips as well, though not as long or sharp as her father's.

"She says you played with her," he stated gruffly, jarring Kagome out of her thoughts and causing her to blush. He apparently noticed it because he raised a black brow and scoffed, rolling his eyes and muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously close to "Stupid girl."

Narrowing her eyes, embarrassment forgotten, Kagome resisted the urge to mutter something back to him, knowing that he'd probably pick it up with his sensitive hearing but then remembered that Shaninri was standing right there and she didn't need to hear her father getting called vile names.

Clearing her throat, Kagome smiled and held out a hand to him. "Hi, I'm Kagome Higurashi. You must be Shaninri's father," she greeted politely, though she didn't really think this man deserved such politeness.

He just stared at her hand; not bothering to reach out and take it in his own and he crossed his arms over his chest instead, shifting his gaze back to her face.

Kagome lowered her hand slowly and sighed inwardly, wondering why she even bothered with politeness since this rude man certainly wasn't returning it. "Anyway, yes, I was playing with her until you got back." Kagome finally answered him, stuffing her hands back in her pockets. The temperature was decreasing.

"Miss 'Gome pushed me on da swing, Daddy!" Shaninri piped up, tugging on his pant leg.

He looked down at his daughter and smiled and Kagome couldn't help but notice with a blush how handsome he looked when he did. "She did, huh? Did you have fun while I was gone?" he asked, laying a hand upon her head and swishing the hat back and forth, efficiently mussing up her hair.

Shaninri giggled and raised her small hands to grasp his large one. "Daddy, stop it!" she laughed, trying to still his hand on her head.

He chuckled and swooped down to pick up his daughter up and over his head to set her on his shoulders. Shaninri squealed and his large hands found her small ones as he balanced her on his broad shoulders.

"C'mon, kiddo, time to go home. You need to finish your bookwork," he reminded her, giving her hands a squeeze.

Shaninri pouted. "But Daddy, I wan' stay here and play with Miss 'Gome!" she whined, looking at Kagome pleadingly.

Her father looked at her as well. "I'm sure Miss Higurashi has to get home too."

At that Kagome rolled her eyes but looked up at Shaninri with a smile. "I'm sorry honey, but your father's right. I do have to get home and feed my fat cat." She elaborated gently, ignoring the rude demon's scoff.

The girl sighed loudly then nodded reluctantly. "Okie…" Then suddenly she perked up and smiled at her. "Can we play t'morrow?" she asked hopefully, a smile forming on her lips.

Kagome's eyes widened and she looked back at her father, raising a fine brow. "I don't know, Shaninri. It's up to your dad."

Said dad was glaring at her right now, glad that his daughter couldn't see his expressions otherwise he'd be forced to contort his face into expressions he's sure would scare away his daughter. But Kagome seemed quite pleased judging by the small smirk on her lips. Damn bitch was enjoying this! "Shaninri…" he began, trailing off with a bit of a warning.

"_Pwease_, Daddy?" she begged, leaning down over his shoulder to peek at his face where he quickly erased his glare.

He sighed and blew his cheeks out, glancing askance at his daughter. "Two pages of bookwork when we get home and you can come back tomorrow."

Shaninri beamed at him and kissed his cheek before hugging him around the neck. "Thank you so much, Daddy! I wuv you!"

His eyes softened and he smiled gently at her. "I love you too, baby girl."

She giggled and straightened back up to smile down at Kagome. "We can play tomorrow, Miss 'Gome!" she chirped happily, bouncing on her father's shoulders. He grunted and hitched his shoulders and she jumped with a giggle.

Kagome watched the display with a soft smile on her lips and her gaze lingered on the dog demon's face for a few more seconds before lifting her eyes to the child situated on her father's shoulders. She smiled. "Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Shaninri." She then dropped her gaze back down to the father. "What time?"

He shrugged carelessly. "Don't matter to me."

"How about…noon?" she asked, glad that tomorrow was Saturday. Sleeping in would be bliss.

He shrugged again. "Whatever." Then with that he turned around and started heading for the park's exit but Kagome stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait, I never got your name," Kagome remarked, taking a step toward them.

She heard him sigh and she smirked inwardly at the annoyance within it. "Inuyasha Takashi." He supplied shortly before continuing his trek.

Shaninri turned on her father's shoulders and waved, a bright smile on her face. "Bye, Miss 'Gome! I see you t'morrow!" she called back.

Kagome smiled and waved back. "Bye, Shaninri! See you tomorrow!"

Satisfied, the little girl turned back around and decided to bug her father for the remainder of the time until they got home.

Shaking her head, Kagome sighed and spun on her heel then trotted back to her light blue Mustang (Hey, she's a teacher, she's gotta have a least _one_ luxury with all the money they give her), slipping in and shutting the door. She revved the engine and circled the park before taking the exit, vaguely wondering where Inuyasha and Shaninri lived as she passed them.

Driving down the street now, Kagome sighed and turned up the heat. It had lost some of the precious warmth while she had been at the park, playing with that sweet little girl and talking to her rude father.

"Hm…Inuyasha," she mused aloud to herself, sucking on her cheek, a habit she'd acquired over the years. "How can such a sweet little girl have an arrogant and rude father? I wonder where her mother was…" Shrugging it off for now, Kagome figured she'd find out tomorrow and concentrated on the road. She really ought to get home and feed Buyo.

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**Shaninri** – The name doesn't really mean anything. I made it up purely on my own. I thought it was pretty and it matches her, ne? But, "shan" does mean beautiful in Japanese, and I wanted her to have a cute little nickname, too.

**Note: **I'm not that good in child development and how they're supposed to act at a certain age, so if you have any pointers about how a six year old should act, please lemme know. I don't know if I should change her dialogue, or make her more shy, or...something. Anything is appreciated!

Please tell me what you liked about it and what you disliked so I know what to write and make some changes in the upcoming chapters! n.n;

Review! …Please?

_**Kei-Chan**_


	2. Adapting to your Daughters & Cats Graces

Hello and welcome back to **Lessons of Love**, written by the ever so talented author, **KeiChanz**! Haha. Okay, introductions down and over with, I really have nothing to say except for enjoy this chapter because I certainly enjoyed writing it!

Happy reading!

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** Lessons of Love**  
**Lesson Two: Adapting to your Daughter's and Cat's Morning Graces**

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_Mornings may or may not be the best part of the day, but for some, the morning is the most important time of day. It is the time of day where families are all together, having breakfast and sipping their coffee and orange juice before the children deport for school and the parents head off to work. So if you're having trouble adjusting to your hyper child's morning routine of waking you up, just remember that you should be thankful that you even have a child and just keep chanting to yourself, "Thirteen more years, thirteen more years, thirteen more years…" And if it's your cat that's giving you problems? Refuse him his favorite food. Or at least cut it short. You don't want him making your couch his recent clawing post. And if all else fails? Two words: Snip snip.  
_

* * *

"Mmm…more grass yogurt in the cake flower, Renaldo…"

Sleepy tawny eyes slowly opened to irritably look at the human sprawled out on her stomach on the bed in nothing but a tee shirt and panties. Upon closer inspection, the eyes noticed a trail of drool rolling down her chin from her gaping mouth before a wide yawn escaped a fanged mouth.

Deciding that it was about high time his owner got up and made him some breakfast, the fat, fur-covered body languorously stretched then prowled its way toward the less than charming slumbering human and crawled atop her back with some effort before mewling and digging blunt yet sharp claws into the fabric covered back.

The dozing human yelped then jolted awake onto her hands and knees, sending the fat feline sailing through the air, a frantic cry of "No Jerry, I wasn't cheating on you with Alfred!" commencing from her before promptly tumbling onto the floor in a tangled heap of human and bed sheets with a startled screech.

Struggling to escape her imprisonment of white cotton bed sheets, Kagome Higurashi finally managed to poke her head out; her tousled black hair framing her face messily as brown eyes blinked confusedly at the air in front of her.

Renaldo, Jerry, and Alfred? Jesus, she was such a whore in her dreams.

Releasing a snort, Kagome shook her head and squiggled out of the bed sheets, grumbling the whole time until she was finally on her feet. _So much for sleeping in,_ Kagome thought as she stole at glance at her clock. She yawned and stretched slowly before realizing that something didn't feel quite right.

"Wait a minute…" Glancing down, Kagome's eyes widened at her bare legs.

"Where're my pants?!"

A deep mewl sounded from her left and Kagome blinked before taking a step forward to find her Calico cat Buyo sitting his fat self onto a pair of purple cotton pajama bottoms with the words "Cat Nap" imprinted in black on them everywhere.

The young woman's brow furrowed in confusion. "How the heck did they end up there…?"

Deciding the matter unimportant after some thought, Kagome shrugged then flounced her way to the bathroom, ignoring her feline's indignant wail of protest. Shouldn't she be making him breakfast right about now?

* * *

His bed was moving. Was that normal? Thinking for a moment, a feat not so easily accomplished this early in the morning, and finally deciding that within his household, yes, it was indeed normal, he rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but the insisting sound of a high-pitched voice prevented him from achieving that goal in which he strived for.

He inwardly groaned. Why did he have to have such a morning-adaptable offspring?

"…'addy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy—"

Each "Daddy" was emphasized by a jump and each time his daughter's tiny feet hit the mattress, the silver-haired hanyou grunted and decided to play dead, praying his hopeless hyper daughter would cease her rather annoying way of waking him up. Maybe this was why he never bothered to buy an alarm clock…

But alas, his playing dead proved to be fruitless for his insistent offspring who apparently knew better and continued her endless mantra of "Daddy." Groaning loudly to show his disapproval, Inuyasha Takashi rolled over onto his back and glared evilly at his princess nightgown-clad daughter, who had stopped her jumping and mantra when he rolled over.

She smiled brightly in return. "G'morning, Daddy!"

Inuyasha yawned and dared a glance at the clock across the room.

6:57. What, she couldn't wait three more minutes? Or sixty?

"See if _you_ get any breakfast after this," Inuyasha grumbled to his daughter before sitting up and stretching, hearing several satisfying pops.

Shaninri giggled and bounced some more.

Heaving a sigh, the hanyou swung his legs over the bed and scooped up his overly awake daughter, tucking her under his arm and earning a delighted squeal from the child as he headed toward the door in nothing but a pair of plaid boxers. Shaninri giggled and squirmed the whole way down to the kitchen, knowing her father wouldn't drop her, even when he loosened his grip several times and pretended like he was about to let her fall.

When father and daughter stepped into the kitchen, Inuyasha gently deposited Shaninri into a chair before walking over to the refrigerator and digging around in its contents. "Whaddaya want for breakfast, Shan?" he asked absently, forgetting his earlier threat of depriving her of breakfast and pushing a jug of milk aside and spying what looked like a half-eaten moldy ham and cheese sandwich stuck to the back wall. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. Somehow he already knew how it had gotten there and who the culprit was.

"Fruit Loops!" his daughter chirped behind him merrily.

Heaving a sigh, the half-demon father shook his head and grabbed the jug of one-percent milk, closing the door then heading to the cupboards to search for the box of his daughter's desired breakfast cereal. He swung open the door and frowned slightly when he found that they were down to only two boxes of cereal: the aforementioned Fruit Loops and Cheerios.

He scrunched his nose. They'd have to go grocery shopping in the near future sometime, something he was _not_ looking forward to. Shopping was a woman's job, not the man's. But he should have thought of that before he and his only daughter's mother divorced and went their separate ways in life.

Inuyasha idly wondered what she was doing right now as he poured the brightly colored cereal into a plastic bowl. _Probably sleeping, _he thought with a smidgen of jealousy. The milk followed the breakfast food shortly afterward and purchasing a spoon from a drawer, Inuyasha walked back to Shaninri and set the bowl in front of her, sticking the spoon in its contents then fetching a glass of orange juice he knew she'd want.

Shaninri silently watched her father meander about the kitchen, crunching happily on her Fruit Loops and wondering what he was thinking about as he prepared his own breakfast of buttered toast and coffee. The child wrinkled her nose. Ewwww, coffee. How did he manage to drink that icky smelling stuff?

"Daddy?" Shaninri asked, setting down her spoon and taking a gulp of orange juice.

"Yeah, babes?" he responded, taking a sip of his freshly brewed coffee and almost moaning at the taste. Caffeine, life's wonder drug. What would he do without it?

"How can you drink icky brown stuff? It smells bad." She wrinkled her nose again in emphasis.

Inuyasha chuckled and set his mug down on the counter, collecting his toast and tossing it on a plate. "Smells bad, huh? To you it might, but to me coffee is essential if I want to function properly. Especially this early in the morning." He shot his daughter a meaningful glance.

She giggled.

He shook his head. Children. What can ya do? "It's not so much as the smell or taste that appeals to me, but the caffeine that comes with it."

"Caff-een?" Shaninri echoed, cocking her head to the side.

"Something that helps me wake up in the morning."

Her mouth formed an "o" and she nodded. "Can I try some?"

Inuyasha raised a brow at his daughter but shrugged, secretly wondering what her reaction would be to the bitter beverage. "I thought you said it smelled bad?" he asked her, grinning when she blushed and pouted. He chuckled and set the mug next to her bowl of now soggy cereal.

Blinking, Shaninri curiously peered into the mug with amber eyes, watching the steam rise up and disperse into the air. Tilting her head, she slowly made to stick a finger into the liquid when her father's sharp "Careful, it's hot" caused her to rethink that action. Scrunching her nose in thought, the youngster sat there for a moment before finally coming to a decision and grabbing her spoon from the bowl of cereal, she dunked it into the dark brown liquid, the milk clinging to it causing the beverage to go to a lighter shade of brown. She watched in fascination for a few seconds before carefully withdrawing her spoon and staring at the drink now situated in the silverware.

Inuyasha watched silently with a small half-grin on his face, looking amused with his arms crossed over his bare chest and leaning against the small island situated within the center of the average sized kitchen. He mentally sighed when she dipped her milk-covered spoon into his coffee. Oh well; a little milk wouldn't hurt. When was the last time he even had any? He didn't think he'd had a taste of the white beverage since Shaninri's age, give or take a few years. He couldn't stand the taste of it and he never would. Inuyasha didn't know about her, but he didn't quite take to the notion of drinking a liquid coming from a cow's udder. He inwardly cringed. Gross.

The five-year old child studied the drink closely for a few more seconds before slowly raising the spoon to her mouth and then popping the utensil between her lips. Instantly her golden eyes widened and she yanked the spoon from her mouth, her face contorting into an expression of disgust as she wiggled in her chair, waving her hands up and down while chanting, "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!"

Inuyasha out-right laughed at his daughter's reaction. He had expected her to not like the taste of black coffee, but her reaction was priceless. Where was the camera?

His laughter eventually quieted down to chuckles and when he finally managed to get another look at his child, he laughed again when he saw her quickly gulping down the milk in her bowl, soggy Fruit Loops and all. The glass of orange juice, he saw, had already been emptied. Probably when he was laughing the first time. Inuyasha snickered.

"Shan, what am I gonna do with you?" he said to himself but she must have heard it because she huffed and sat back in her chair, a cute pout sporting her young features.

"I didn't know it was gonna taste _that_ bad," she confessed sulkily and Inuyasha chuckled.

Shaking his head with a grin, the adult half-demon scooped his daughter up in his arms and positioned her so she was facing him with her small hands clutching his shoulders and her legs hooked around his abdomen. He smiled affectionately at her and nuzzled her nose with his own, eliciting a giggle from the child in his arms.

"C'mon, beautiful. Bath time," he said and Shaninri squealed before squiggling her way out of his arms and onto the floor, shrieking with laughter as she peeled through the house.

Inuyasha playfully growled and hightailed it after her, chasing his hyper daughter through the rooms. He couldn't wipe off the grin that was on his face the whole entire time. Despite the way of waking up, mornings were definitely his favorite time of the day.

Shaninri Takashi didn't get her bath until well after 7:30.

* * *

"Buyo, get your fat fur-covered butt back here with that!" Kagome yelled as she chased her Calico feline through her apartment, her right foot sockless and a sneaker waving in the air from her hand. How the stupid cat had managed to steal her sock without her notice was beyond her since he was bound to make at least _some_ noise from his obese body.

God, she hated mornings.

Growling impressively for a human under her throat, Kagome stopped running and glared at the bathroom door where she had seen the feline flee for cover in. "Alright, Buyo. Either you give me back my sock or no breakfast for you." It was a threat that Kagome knew would work.

Not even ten seconds later, the sock-stealing feline skulked back into the living room, her sock hanging from its mouth. Kagome waiting until he was sitting in front of her with the sock at her feet.

She glared down at him. "You're still not getting a whole lot this morning, even if you did bring me back my sock." Kagome snatched up the garment and stalked to the kitchen, grumbling under her breath about fat cats and expensive socks.

Buyo yowled his objection.

"Shoulda thought of that before you stole my sock, you fat fiend!"

She pulled on her sock and shoe then ran her fingers through her still damp hair with a hand, using the other to open the pantry and grab a pouch of special diet cat food. She didn't think it really worked, but it was worth a try. Hey, as long as he ate it, he didn't have to know that it was secretly trying to make him thinner.

Kagome ripped it open and dumped only half of the contents into his bowl, sealing the rest away in a bag and storing it in the fridge.

Buyo glared at her from his spot on the floor next to his dish.

"Stop that. You can stand to shed a few pounds. Or thirty," Kagome stated before preparing herself a breakfast of strawberry poptarts and cappuccino. Ah, French vanilla cappuccino. She lovingly looked at the most incredible and most brilliant invention of all time that sat upon her counter top: the cappuccino maker. Honestly, what would she do without it? It wasn't so much as the caffeine she favored since she really had no problem at all with waking up in the morning, but the divine taste of the French vanilla flavored liquid as it ran down her throat had her addicted to the stuff. She could probably live off of it if she wanted to.

Sitting down at her two-person table, Kagome was just about to take a sip of her precious steaming cappuccino when her phone rang from the kitchen counter. Groaning aloud, Kagome stared longingly at her hot mug with a whimper before scowling and stomping over to her phone, eyebrow twitching as she picked up the receiver.

"This had better be good, Sango. I was just about to enjoy a nice hot steaming cup of French vanilla cappuccino," Kagome threatened. Her friend didn't need to see the pout now sporting her features.

"How'd you know it was me?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Who else calls me this early in the morning?"

"Point," her friend laughed and Kagome sighed. "So sorry to intrude on your worshiping hour of cappuccino, but I was wondering if you were doing anything today."

Tucking the cordless phone between her shoulder and ear, Kagome walked back to the table and took a bite out of a poptart, her brow furrowing in thought. "Well, I was gonna go shopping today since I'm down to my last box of poptarts. Then I hafta go to the park at noon," she answered, licking her lips and eyeing the still steaming beverage.

"You and your poptarts, Kagome." Sango snickered.

"Hey! They're the best things ever created next to cappuccino. If it weren't for poptarts, I'd be starving right now."

"Sure. Anyway, you said you were going to the park. What for? You meeting somebody there or something?" Kagome didn't miss the hidden meaning behind the words and she rolled her eyes. Trust Sango to pry into her personal life. Kagome inwardly sighed.

"As a matter of fact, Sango dear, I _am_ meeting someone there."

"Oh? Do tell."

Kagome sat down and debated on whether or not she should tell her best friend about her encounter with the two half-demons she met at the park last night after work. But knowing Sango, she'd want to know _everything_ that transpired between them and Kagome _really_ wanted to drink her cappuccino before it went cold. The steam was already lessening!

The young woman sighed. She might as well because she'd eventually end up telling her anyway. Might as well just get it done and over with. "I went to the park last night after work just for some fresh air and I met two half-demons there."

"Half-demons?" Sango echoed and Kagome nodded before she realized her friend couldn't see it.

"Yeah. One of them was a little girl named Shaninri. She was so adorable, Sango! She has the sweetest smile and her laugh is just so cute." Kagome giggled at the memory and decided that her cappuccino had been neglected long enough and took a small sip. She moaned inwardly. _Bliss._

"What about the other one? You said there was two," Sango prodded, sounding genuinely interested.

Kagome's thoughts of the cute little girl dispersed and in their place developed the memory of Shaninri's father. She scowled and took a vicious bite of her poptart. "Oh, don't get me started on _him_, Sango! He's Shaninri's father and he was so rude to me! All he did was glare at me last night and he didn't even take my hand when I offered a handshake. He didn't even seem too pleased that we're meeting at the park today as well." Honestly, she had no idea someone could be so rude when they have such a sweet and innocent child for a daughter.

Sango snorted from her end of the line. "Huh. Wonder what crawled up his ass and died?" she questioned allowed and Kagome snorted a laugh.

"Whatever it was it certainly wasn't being friendly to his insides."

Sango laughed and Kagome joined her.

When they both calmed down, Sango spoke again and Kagome could hear the grin in her voice. "Meet me at the gas station at the corner of Blackhouse and we can go shopping together. Miroku's still sleeping and I can probably manage to steal the keys to the Hummer." Her friend didn't need to see her to know that her best friend was grinning.

Kagome snickered evilly. "You're bad, Sango."

"Yes. Yes I am."

The two friends shared another laugh and after saying their goodbyes, Kagome hung up the phone and grabbed a jean jacket to go with her ensemble that consisted of a dark red sweater and blue jeans before grabbing her purse and a thermos of hot cappuccino then exiting her apartment, locking the door behind her.

* * *

I'm very pleased with how this chapter turned out. Weren't you? Well, I like it. :D Isn't Shaninri so _adorable?_ -Squees!- I hope this chapter is met to your expectations. If you see any spelling errors and the like, please tell me and I'll go back and fix them. n.n Thanks!

Oh, and by the way, Shaninri's name is pronounced "Shawn-in-ree." Just to clear up some confusion that might have developed.

Until next time,  
_**Keiz**_


	3. Dealing with Impromptu Meetings

Author's notes and explanations are at the end of the chapter.

**Lessons of Love  
Lesson Three: Dealing with Impromptu Meetings**

* * *

_When confronted with the object of your current irritation, try to remain calm and collected; poised and patient. Be aware that he or she might make a few degrading comments, or perhaps try to goad you into losing your temper and humiliating yourself in public. Do not rise to the bait. You want to remain the mature one for the duration of the confrontation and reacting to juvenile goading and belittling annotations will not get you anywhere and will seem childish. Remember, you are the one who wants to be in control, not the other way around. And if all else fails? Get 'em with the chair!_

* * *

"You're _joking!_"

Her friend sounded absolutely aghast and Kagome snorted aloud as she pushed her cart down the dairy products isle, eyeing the different assortments of creamer. Hm, pumpkin spice…that was new.

"You'd better believe it, Sango," the young teacher affirmed, grabbing the pumpkin spice and tossing it into her cart. "He actually cornered me_, under the staircase_, and wouldn't let me leave until I agreed!" Recalling how the arrogant wolf demon had forced her into agreeing to go on a date with him had Kagome fuming all over again and she scowled, clenching her fist around a carton of one percent milk in her hand.

Sango whistled low and shook her head, carefully plucking Kagome's fingers one by one off the poor milk carton and swiftly snatching it. Any more pressure and it probably would have exploded. "Wow, Kagome," she said, swapping the dented milk carton for another one. "I never knew Kouga could be so…"

"Manipulative? Arrogant? Asinine? Selfish?"

"…I was gonna say insistent, but whatever creams your Twinkie."

Kagome snorted at her choice of expression and suddenly realized that her hand was empty. Wasn't there a milk carton there a second ago…? Shrugging, she continued on down the isle toward the next one, glancing over the quickly scribbled shopping list she created in the car, deducing that all the dairy products were in the cart.

Sango rolled her eyes with a smile and pushed her own cart after her friend, nabbing a few things as they meandered through the next isle which was mostly cereals, breakfast items, crackers, and other foods classified with them. Kagome immediately zoned in on the poptarts and her friend only sighed and bypassed her toward the oatmeal. For some reason, the only thing Miroku ate in the mornings anymore was Maple and Brown Sugar oatmeal. As she dumped two boxes into her cart, she idly wondered when his arteries were going to start clogging up…

* * *

"No, Shaninri."

"Pweeaaase, Daddy? I promise ta be good an' clean my room an' do what you tell me an'…an' be good an' not be bad an'—an' not hide your sleeping shorts in da fridge no more! I pwoooomise! Ple-e-e-e-e-a-a-a-a-a-s-s-s-se, Papa?!"

Kids say the darnedest things sometimes.

Ignoring the looks that ranged from amused to scandalous to disapproving, Inuyasha sighed and leaned against the half-full shopping cart, dragging a hand over his face and shooting his daughter an exasperated look. Vaguely he was reminded of that really stupid commercial where that bratty kid threw a tantrum in the store because he couldn't get what he wanted. "Shan, I told you you could get one thing. You got _one_ thing. Now it's either that—" He gestured to the box in her hands. "—or those." The treat she was begging for.

Shaninri visibly deflated and stuck her bottom lip out, her honey eyes going liquid as her smooth brow wrinkling slightly in a frown. Inuyasha knew the look well and pointedly ignored it, instead crossing his arms and arching a black brow in obvious inquiry.

His daughter peeked up at him, saw his defiance, and heaved a long-suffering sigh before leaning up on her tip toes and dropping the box in her hands into the cart, her ears lowering in defeat. She bit her lip and peeked up at him through her lashes again.

He shook his head. "Don't give me that," Inuyasha admonished and started pushing the cart forward again, unaffected by her pouting from a few years of experience. "I told you to pick one thing, and you got it. End of discussion. Now stop moping and c'mon, we're almost done. Just a few more things in the dairy section and we can go home." He continued onward, not once looking back at his still pouting offspring.

Said offspring continued to mope just to spite him and hopefully guilt him into letting get those Gummie Bears. But, alas, her pouting was fruitless because after several minutes he was still ignoring her and Shaninri huffed, scrunched her face up, and stuck her tongue out at him.

Inuyasha's ear flicked before he looked over his shoulder, golden eyes staring down at his daughter. "Wanna do that again?"

Shaninri gaped, blushed, then ducked her head and muttered out a quick "No-Daddy-sorry."

Suppressing the smug grin, Inuyasha nodded then continued shopping. _This really is a woman's job…dammit…_

Thus father and daughter commenced grocery shopping, the latter's head bowed with small furry ears drooped low on her head under her signature red beret.

They passed the baking isle, snacks, meat, household supplies, the bakery, the cereal isle—

Shaninri froze and stared down the shelves packed with breakfast foods and accessories, taking a delicate sniff then stretching her face into a wide grin. Sneaking a glance at her father, who seemed oblivious that she had stopped, the young half-demon giggled silently then darted down the isle, disappearing from view.

* * *

"Alfred? Renaldo? _Jerry?_ What the hell, Kagome! Since when are you such a whore in your dreams?"

Kagome laughed and wiggled her eyebrows at her friend, eliciting a bout of giggles. "Hey, if I can't get the real thing, I might as well dream it," she said with a shrug, neglecting to mention that she had asked herself the same thing. Or more like told herself.

The two friends shared a laugh and continued down the isle, breakfast items crossed out on their diminishing grocery lists.

"Miss 'Gome!"

"What—?" Kagome turned around, saw a flash of silver and red, and then something small barreled into her, nearly knocking her over and succeeding in knocking the wind out of her. "Oomph!"

Sango watched with wide eyes, confusion evident in her expression. "Uh, Kagome…?"

"What the…" The schoolteacher blinked down at the wide amber eyes that smiled up at her and her own chocolate orbs rounded slightly in recognition. "Shaninri? How…what are you doing here?" She frowned then looked around, failing to see another flash of silver and gold. "Um, are you here with somebody…?"

The young hanyou smiled brightly and nodded, tightening her hold around Kagome's hips. "Uh huh! Daddy's here too, but he's over at da milk stuff looking for milk."

Sango giggled at the answer and Kagome's frown deepened a bit. "Does he know you're gone?"

Shaninri's smiled faded and she looked a little sheepish. "Um…"

"_Shaninri!_"

"Well, that answers _that_ question."

Kagome grimaced and lifted her eyes to see a very relieved – and very pissed off – Inuyasha running down the isle toward them and Sango gaped openly. "_That's_ her father?" she whispered harshly and Kagome nodded resignedly.

The child at her waist bit her lip and turned around to face her father, head bowed and looking like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Shaninri Izayoi Takashi, don't you ever, _ever_ do that to me again, do you hear me? The second I noticed you were gone—" Inuyasha stopped, took a deep breath and knelt down before his daughter, taking her frail shoulders into his hands and giving her a gentle shake, staring hard into her averted eyes. "Look at me, Shan." She bit her lip and kept her gaze averted. However a sharp growl solved that problem quickly. Ignoring the two curious women hovering close, Inuyasha pressed on. "I don't know what the hell you were thinking, but whatever it was, _don't_ do it again. What if it wasn't Miss Higurashi that you saw? What if you'd mistaken her for some other woman who don't like half-demons?"

Shaninri flinched and her golden eyes glistened with the threat of tears. "Papa…"

"You scared me, kiddo. I thought somebody snatched you or—" He stopped himself for the sake of his daughter and released a breath, shaking his head and wiping away a stray tear from his daughter's cheek. "Just…don't do that to me, okay?"

Sniffling, the chastised Shaninri nodded and wrapped her small arms around her father's neck. "I'm sorry, Papa. I didn't mean ta make you afraid."

Inuyasha sighed and stood up with her in his arms where she then promptly hid her face in his neck. "I know, Shan." He nudged her cheek with his nose affectionately. "Give me a smile?"

His daughter mumbled something and tightened her grip around his neck.

The hanyou father sighed and patted her back. "Alright, you little monster, you can get those crackers or whatever it was that you wanted earlier. Alright?" He ducked his head and tried to catch her gaze with his own.

Shaninri shifted in his arms and turned her face toward him slightly, golden eyes identical to her father's hopefully. "Really?" she whispered.

Inuyasha couldn't stop the small smile that quirked his lips. "Really. Now c'mon. Smile for Daddy."

Biting her lip softly, the young half-demon eased her grip on his neck and then graced him with a small, trembling but genuine smile.

Inuyasha grinned and gave her an Eskimo kiss. "That's my girl."

She giggled.

"Ah…is she okay?"

Ears twitching, the half-demon suddenly seemed to remember their audience and blinked down at the two women staring curiously at the child in his arms. Instinctively he growled and moved away from them, shielding his daughter with his arms as best as he could. "She's fine," he mumbled and rubbed her back absently.

Feeling a little awkward from watching the display of affection between father and daughter, Kagome smiled and shifted her weight. "Uh…I was going to find you if she told me you didn't know she was gone. But I guess it was unnecessary." She laughed nervously.

Inuyasha grunted in reply and made to ignore them and return to his abandoned shopping cart when a dull thud and a muffled curse reached his ears. Turning back around with a raised eyebrow, he was met with the sight of Kagome rubbing her ribs while glaring at Sango who was currently smiling brightly up at him.

"Uh…"

"Hi. I'm Sango, Kagome's best friend. She's talked about you, but I haven't had the…pleasure of meeting you." She stuck out her hand and Inuyasha automatically took it with his free one.

"Uh…sure…" He winced and tugged his hand back. Damn, she had a strong grip for a wench.

_He never shook _my_ hand…_ Kagome sulked quietly then immediately wondered at the thought. _Wait, since when did I care if he shook my hand or not?_

Another jab in her ribs had her shooting another glare at Sango who was looking at her pointedly then flicking her gaze to the two half-demons. Rolling her eyes, Kagome grumbled before crossing her arms and sighing. "Sango, Inuyasha. Inuyasha, Sango." Then she smiled brilliantly at Shaninri. "And that adorable little girl right there is Shaninri. Shan, this is Sango, by best friend."

Aforementioned child un-hid her face from her father's neck and peeked at the nice lady from yesterday. A small, shy smile graced her young features and she waved with the tips of her tiny clawed fingers.

Sango's eyes softened and she smiled warmly back. "Hello, Shaninri. It's so nice to meet you, doll."

Shaninri blushed and her smile widened a bit. "It's-it's nice ta meet you too, Miss San…San'o." If this woman was bestest friends with Miss 'Gome, then she must be nice too, the young half-demon surmised.

Both women giggled at the mispronunciation of Sango's name and didn't bother to correct her.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Inuyasha suddenly interrupted but before he could make to leave – again – Kagome stopped him.

"Oh, Mr. Takashi—"

"Inuyasha. Mr. Takashi is my brother," he snapped. He'd be damned if he was ever called _Mr. Takashi. _It was like calling him Sesshomaru. He mentally shuddered at the thought.

"…Inuyasha…" Kagome drawled, narrowing her eyes to indicate she did not appreciate his snap. _Must remain calm…_ "About this afternoon, it's still on, right?"

He snorted. "Well, as far as I know, yeah." He narrowed his eyes. "Why, you canceling?" Damn, he didn't want to tell his already upset daughter that she wouldn't be able to go to the park today…

Kagome clenched her teeth and fisted her hands. "No, Inuyasha, I am not canceling. I just wanted to let you know that I might be a little late due to some work issues. Is that okay with you?" _Tch, like I need to ask permission from this pompous asshole._

Rolling his eyes, the half-demon scoffed and waved it off. "Keh, whatever. Just don't keep me waiting, got it? I have better things to do than wait for your late a—wait for you." And with that, he turned around and headed back down the isle to his abandoned shopping cart. Hopefully it was still there. Shaninri's coat was in that thing…

"Jerk," Kagome muttered and she hoped he heard her. Judging by the flick of his white fuzzy ears, he had. Poor Shaninri if she had to put up with _that _every single day of her life. She pitied for poor sod of a woman who married him. She didn't bother pondering over the fact that she had yet to see said woman or why it was _he_ that was shopping, not the wife.

With a huff, the schoolteacher whirled around, grabbed her cart and charged toward the cashiers, leaving a rather amused Sango behind. Like hell she was going to be in the same store as _him_ anymore.

* * *

**Note:** If you feel that Shaninri's behavior isn't associated with a six year old, please feel free to tell me and give me some pointers on how she should act. I'm not that good with child development and ages and stuff. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

And that's it for chapter three. I was gonna keep going, but I figured it's been long enough since I've updated this, and I didn't wanna keep you guys waiting any longer. I'm truly sorry for the long time in waiting. Since I last posted chapter two—

Ohmigod, it's been more than a year since I've last updated this. I feel like total shit. OHMYGAWD I'm so sorry. ;; I had no idea it's been that long…God. I promise the next update won't be that long. No, really! I'm so sorry.

Damn…chapter two was posted _May 8__th__, 2007_. And a lot of things have happened since then. Family problems, school crap, graduating from school, summer college classes, my nineteenth birthday, other birthdays, getting my driver's license, staring college at the end of August… I'm actually a college student. Pretty weird, huh? When I first started writing, I was in…seventh grade, I think. Or sixth. Somewhere around there. Heh.

I doubly promise that you will never again have to wait a year for an update for this story, or any of my stories! Feel free to remind me of this.

Um. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next time, _to the park!_

Until next time,  
**_Keiz_**


	4. Managing an Acceptable Time Schedule

**Lessons of Love  
Lesson Four: Managing an Acceptable Time Schedule**

**-X-**

_Remember to always be on time for scheduled meetings and outings. Tardiness if frowned upon and if one wants to be viewed as professional, then one must practice promptness and always be on time. It tells someone how organized one is with their time management, and it speaks volumes for potential clients or employees. However, if you announce ahead of time that you might be late for an outing, it is not your fault that the person you are meeting is in a foul mood when you arrive, since you did, indeed, warn them that you might be tardy. If he still won't listen…be late just to annoy him. _

**-X-**

Little bare feet padded across the carpeted floor down the fairly wide hallway, a fluffy lump of blue and brown being dragged across the floor behind her, clutched tightly in a small, clawed hand. At three feet and ten inches, the young half-demon's gait was soft and light, making nary a sound as she neared her destination, which happened to be the cracked open door at the end of the well-lit hallway.

Stopping before the door, Shaninri bit her lower lip in a rare show of nervousness and slowly pushed the door open enough so that she could poke her silver head through, golden eyes zeroing in on the figure before her.

In the room that he called a study, her father stood hunched over a large mahogany desk, the equally large rolling chair pushed back behind him as he bent over various sizes of blueprint paper. The light from the lamp situated at the corner of the desk illuminated his workspace and Shaninri could see papers overflowing the surface of it, hanging off the edge, littering the floor around it, and stacked in piles everywhere. The tools he used were located here and there on the desk, always within reach, and she praised herself for remembering what the tool he was currently using was called.

Her daddy certainly was a busy man. But never too busy for her, she was quick to realize at an early age.

Moving farther into the room, Shan watched silently as her father dragged a pencil after the wake of a compass, the two-pronged device he had told her it was named, as he pivoted it around in a half-circle, his expression one of intense concentration. That was why he hadn't noticed her yet – he was working really hard on his next assignment for his job.

Although how that weird looking metal thingie could help someone find their way home if they were lost was beyond her.

It was another moment or two before the older half-demon's ear flicked in her direction and eyes identical to her own lifted from the desk to gaze at the small figure standing before the doorway to his study and he frowned slightly at the hesitance in her stance. Idly he wondered how long she'd been standing there and then decided it didn't matter; that uneasy look on his precious girl's face was of more concern to him.

Straightening slightly from his hunch, Inuyasha jerked his head in invitation and returned his gaze back to his design. "What's up, baby?" he said, making sure to keep his voice soft and void of any irritation. He didn't want to make her more jumpy than she already was, and he suspected her reason for being as such.

He had never been angry in the first place from what had transpired earlier today at the store; he'd had the reaction of what any scared parent of a young child would do. His daughter wasn't in sight and he had instantly panicked and he made himself calm down so he could track her scent. No, he'd never been angry; he could never be mad at his little girl.

But the fear that had seized him was not something that he cared to go through again.

Seeming to relax a little at his soft tone and easy posture, Shaninri hugged her stuffed Beast plushie to her chest and dropped her gaze to the polished wood of the floor. "Um, I'm sorry I scared you today, Daddy," she apologized in that soft tone of hers, the one she used when she wasn't sure what his reaction was going to be. "Are you…mad at me?" Sheepishly she scuffed her bare foot against the floor, her toe nudging at the edge of the rug a few inches away. She hoped her Papa wasn't mad at her. She really hadn't meant to make him afraid today; she'd just been happy to see Miss K'ome again.

Flicking his gaze back to his daughter, Inuyasha's features softened and he put down the compass before sitting down in his brown leather chair and beckoning her over to him. "C'mere, Shan." He patiently waited while she slowly made her way over to him and he effortlessly lifted her up onto his lap when she was close enough. Situating her so that her little legs draped over his thighs and she was tucked snuggly against his chest, Inuyasha let out a sigh and wrapped his arms securely around his precious little girl, the most important person in the world to him as a deep, soothing rumble emitted from his chest.

Shaninri cuddled in close, her ever-present companion Beast hugged tightly to her chest with her slim arms. She couldn't help but relax a bit, because she was in her number one most favoritest position in the world; her daddy's arms. She knew she was as safe as she could get while nestled in his strong embrace, and the thought brought her comfort, a content little sigh escaping her lips as her eyes fluttered close, a furry ear pressed against the rhythmic beating of his heart and lulling her into a light doze.

And just like that, Shaninri knew that her papa had never been mad at her.

The older hanyou's voice brought her back to the present, however, and her eyes flipped back open to stare at him with wide-eyed innocence.

Running a clawed hand through hair that was exactly like his own, Inuyasha teased the two appendages at the top of her head and smiled as they flicked beneath his touch, a soft giggle drifting up to his own ears. "I was never angry, baby," he told her even though she probably already knew this. "I was just…scared. One minute you were behind me, and the next you were suddenly gone. I didn't know where you were and…" He sighed heavily and bent to press his forehead against hers. "Just…don't do that again, okay? I wanna be able to know where you are so if something happens, I can be there right away." He tapped her nose. "Got me?" A smile curled his lips.

He laughed when her head bobbled up and down frantically, her face lit up from the wide smile spreading across her young face. "Okie, Daddy. I promise ta never do that again to you." She paused. "Can I have my Gummi Bears now?"

Chuckling, he shook his head and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Save some red ones for me, yeah? And tell your friend," he poked Beast in the belly with a finger, "to stop appearing randomly in my sock drawer. Scares the crap outta me to see a lump of brown in with my _white_ socks." He gave her a pointed stare.

"Beast likes to play hide and seek," she informed matter-of-factly, completely serious.

Inuyasha arched a black brow. "Right." He plucked her off his lap and set her back on her feet, patting her bottom. "Now git. Dad's gotta finish this design before we head off before noon."

Squealing at the reminder of her play date with Miss 'Gome, the young'un ran out of her father's study, giggling the whole way and leaving her father smiling warmly in her wake.

He kept his eyes on the door even after she disappeared around the corner and he could hear her chatting happily away to her ever-constant companion the Beast. The smile on his face faded, however, and he sighed heavily, leaning back into the plushness of his chair and dragging a hand down his face. He'd been anticipating that little conversation ever since they got home from the market, however he didn't think it would affect him this much.

Inuyasha frowned and stared blankly at the blueprints scattered on his desk, lost in his thoughts. Had Shaninri really thought he was angry with her? Sure, he'd been a little upset that she had wandered off on her own without telling him, but what he'd said was the truth; he'd never been angry with her.

The fear, however, had been one hundred percent real, and it was not just because she had disappeared from his sight; he could easily follow her scent.

What had really scared him was the possibility that his daughter could have run into someone that happened to not like half-demons and made it a sole purpose in life to rid the planet of them. Inuyasha knew such people existed, from both sides of the race, and it was not uncommon for one to mingle with humans and demons alike, performing mundane things such as shopping.

God…what if his baby girl had been kidnapped by one of those prejudiced bastards? The father didn't know what he would do. He doubted anybody would care enough to help rescue a half-demon child from some twisted fuck-up with no life. He knew Sesshomaru would offer his support; for reasons unknown to the hanyou father, his half-brother had a soft spot for Shaninri and seemed to be rather attached to her. Not to mention he spoiled her rotten and got her whatever she asked for.

Which was just as well; Inuyasha adored his niece Rin and gave into her whims all the time.

They were both two spineless saps, weren't they?

Chuckling into the silence of his study, Inuyasha heaved a sigh again and unwillingly set back to work on his next project. This was the worst part of his job; actually designing the houses. He had way more fun constructing the dwellings. Of course he was the only one he knew of in his profession that both designed the houses, _and_ built them…but like that was going to stop him from what he enjoyed doing most.

Picking up his discarded compass and pencil, a wistful smile curled his lips as he brought to life masterpiece of a house. It was one of his more beautiful creations, and he couldn't wait to see the final product.

That was the best part of his job: gazing upon the final result of months of hard labor and planning and reveling in the look of happy satisfaction on his client's face.

With more vigor than before Inuyasha stood up from his chair and began what he does best.

**-X-**

_Okay, Kagome, you can do this. Just tell him that something came up and you can't make it. Tell him Gramps is sick or something and you have to look after him while Mom goes out…somewhere… _

Inwardly groaning, Kagome closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cool wood of the door separating her and the charismatic wolf-demon principle. She just knew this wasn't going to go as planned. Knowing Kouga, he'd pull her in and somehow trick her into accepting _another_ date in compensation for the one she was about to cancel. While Kagome liked the wolf-demon well enough, she had no desire to move their relationship to a more…intimate level, unlike Kouga, who wasn't so subtle at hinting that he most certainly did.

Cringing at the mental image that _that_ particular thought produced, Kagome shook her head and took a deep breath, nodding resolutely to herself. Well. It was now or never. She was already running late enough as it is from just stalling outside his door and knowing Mr. Takashi – no, wait. Knowing _Inuyasha,_ he'd probably get sick of waiting for her and just leave.

Kagome frowned. But what about adorable little Shaninri? He wouldn't just let his daughter get all excited, and then suddenly take the promise of a play date away from her. He's not that cruel, is he?

…Dammit. She was stalling again.

Shoving all thoughts of irritable hanyous and their precious daughter's aside, Kagome braced herself, stood up straight, and firmly rapped twice on the door leading into the principal's office, hoping that nobody would answer.

Never mind that everyone knew that Kouga always spent his Saturday mornings at the office catching up on paper work.

Rustling of papers, then a distracted "enter" crushed her hopes and sealed her fate.

Well…it was now or never. Before she could talk herself out of it, Kagome twisted the metal handle down and pushed the door forward, plastering a smile onto her face as she stepped inside. She had an inkling that he was not going to make this easy for her.

Biting her lip, hoping this wouldn't take long, the wolf-demon principal lifted his eyes from the papers on his desk and instantly a charming smile graced his tanned features, his blue eyes lighting up as he stood from his desk. "Kagome," he greeted warmly, coming around to stand before his desk. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" He gestured to one of the two plush chairs before his desk and the school teacher reluctantly sat down.

She'd wanted this to be a quick affair; cancel their date, apologize, and then make her exit, but it looked like he had other ideas as he walked past her and shut the door, effectively closing them in. Mentally she groaned and refrained from dropping her head in her hands. Why, oh _why_ did he have to make everything difficult?

Ambling back over, Kouga leaned against his desk and put his hands in his pockets, glad he had decided to don a regular tee shirt and blue jeans than the suit that his workplace required. It allowed for his woman to see the other side of him, the more laid back and easy going guy instead of the hard working, dedicated elementary school principal she was around most of the time.

Shifting nervously in her seat, biting her lip and trying to avoid his gaze, Kagome cleared her throat and focused on a random doo-hickie on his desk. "Ah, Kouga," she began, "I…actually came here to tell you that I…um…well, about our date—"

"Yeah, about that," he cut her off, grinning from ear to ear now. "I was thinking maybe I could take you to Luigi's if you're in the mood for Italian, or maybe Miguel's for some delicious Mexican. Or," he continued, oblivious to Kagome's growing apprehension, "we could even go traditional and I'll reserve us some seats at Tsuyo's Japanese Cuisine. I hear tell they've got this amazing teriyaki rice and chicken combination—…"

As he prattled on, oblivious, Kagome sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. She really hoped this wouldn't make her too late; it was already quarter to twelve and she had yet to announce the reason for her visit.

God, but she hated being right sometimes.

"—and then afterward, we could go catch that new movie, what's it called? Something to do with a chick's body.* Or maybe that Sority…Sorority…Rue or whatever.** I heard it's got some good reviews—"

"Kouga," she finally interrupted him, her voice firm yet an apologetic smile on her face. "About the date…I don't think I'll be able to make it tomorrow tonight."

He blinked, a frown drawing his brows inward. He stared at her and Kagome had to look away, turning her gaze to the side as she bit her lip.

Finally he spoke. "Well…why the hell not?" His deep voice sent shivers down her spine, and they weren't the good kind.

She sucked in a breath and twisted her hands together nervously. "Ah…well…you see…I…had already made plans with someone and…I forgot until just recently." _Oh yeah, Kagome, _great_ excuse. Just _whom exactly_ do you have plans with?_

Kouga was thinking the same thing. "Plans? With who?" His frown deepened and he crossed his arms over his chest.

_Crap. Crapcrapcrap. **Shit. **_ "Inuyasha Takashi."

Silence.

Oh god. Why that name? _Why_ was it that _his_ name was the first to come to her head?! God, she was _so stupid_. Inwardly groaning and beating herself up into a bloody pulp, Kagome forced herself to remain calm and dared to peek up at him, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

Kouga looked startled at her answer, his eyebrows shooting up into his dark bangs and his eyes rounding slightly in surprise. "Takashi? As in Brothers Takashi Designs and Construction?"

Kagome blinked and developed a frown of her own. "Yes…that Takashi." Come to think of it, Inuyasha's last name did match up to that of the business he was referring to. Did he own it? Or maybe his brother did, since it was _Brothers_ Takashi… She'd definitely have to look into that further this afternoon at their meeting.

Meeting. Uh oh. Shooting a glance at the clock on the wall behind the wolf-demon, Kagome gasped and shot up from her seat, grabbing her purse from the floor and hurrying toward the door. "Sorry Kouga, but I gotta go! I'm late! Call me and we'll talk about another time, okay, bye!"

The door closed behind her, leaving a blinking wolf-demon behind.

"…Damn."

**-X-**

"Oh man, I hadn't realized how long I was in there for! It's already ten after!" Jumping in her car and revving it up, Kagome sped out of the parking lot and down the street, heading toward the park where she hoped the twosome were still there, waiting for her. "I hope they're still there…and that he's not _too_ mad."

The jerk's words from yesterday had her cringing as she sped through a yellow light, barely making it.

"_Just don't keep me waiting, got it? I have better things to do than wait for your late a—wait for you."_

Turning a corner and almost running over a squirrel, the park came into view and a huge wave of relief swept through her when she saw two familiar figures at the playground, two heads of shiny silver hair giving away just who they were.

"Oh thank god," she muttered as she pulled up to the side of the road and put the car in park, cutting the engine. Quickly exiting, she almost forgot to shut the door and lock it before hastily making her way over to them, calling out, "Hey guys!"

Identical sets of golden eyes gazed her way, one lighting up in excitement while the other glowered heatedly, a scowl twisting his features.

"Miss 'Gome!" Shaninri shouted, jumping from the merry go round and running toward her new playmate. Laughing, Kagome caught the girl in her arms and accepting the hug she received, kneeling down to her level.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, smiling warmly. "I had something to deal with first and I didn't think it would take very long."

The tiny half-demon in her arms smiled and was about to assure her when her father scoffed, silencing her.

"Keh. Obviously, you were wrong. What could possibly take so long that you're fifteen minutes late? You're the one who said noon, wench, not me." Inuyasha glared down at her, arms folded across his chest haughtily.

Kagome frowned and stood up, her hands placed at her hips in a typical female stance. "I did say I might be a little late, _Inuyasha_," she intoned, enjoying the way he flinched as she said his name. Fighting back a smirk, Kagome looked back down at the half-demon girl and offered a fond smile. "Want me to push you on the swings again, Shan?"

Shaninri beamed and nodded eagerly before skipping to the swings, Kagome in two but not before giving her father a rather triumphant look over her shoulder.

Inuyasha growled and followed after them, muttering under his breath about sneaky wenches.

Coming up behind the youth, Kagome gave her a warning before grapping her sides and pulling backward, releasing her shortly afterward and reveling in the delighted laughter that met her ears. Kagome smiled and gave her a gentle push every time Shaninri swung back her way. Inuyasha plopped on the swing next to them, propping his chin in his hand and watching with a bored expression.

Kagome ignored him for the most part and focused on Shaninri, making idle chatter with her and chuckling when she received responses in one or two words whenever she was near enough to the school teacher to say them.

"Are you keeping up in your schoolwork, Shaninri?" Kagome asked, remembering Inuyasha mentioning something about bookwork yesterday.

"I almost—" She swung forward, then back again. "—got a whole—" Forward. Back. "—book done!"

"That's great! Good for you, Shan!"

Giggling, the young hanyou stopped the forward motion by skidding her feet on the ground, slowing down until she was able to hop off. Grabbing the pretty lady's hand, Shan dragged her over to the merry-go-round. "Spin me, Miss K'ome!"

"What do you say first, Shan?" Inuyasha gave his daughter a knowing look, arching a brow.

Shaninri gasped and blushed before smiling and correcting herself. "Could you please spin me, Miss K'ome?"

Charmed, Kagome smiled and nodded. "I'd be happy to, honey. Now get ready! I do this all the time when I take my students to the park on class trips!" Pretending to shove up her sleeves and puffing out her chest, eliciting a delighted giggle from the girl, Kagome grabbed hold of a cold steel bar and shoved it with all her might, efficiently sending the merry-go-round into motion.

Shaninri squealed and with her father's warning of "hold tight, baby," she wrapped her tiny arms around one of the cold steel bars and laughed as her father joined in on the spinning, making it go a tad faster.

Together the two adults spun the ride round and round, reveling in the child's peals of laughter and screams of delight. Soon, though, Kagome's arms were getting tired and she backed away, watching with a small, fond smile as Inuyasha jumped onto the spinning ride and pretended it was going way too fast, grabbing hold of his daughter and pleading to "not let him fall."

He really was a good father, she surmised, rubbing her tired arms and releasing a small, peaceful sigh. Right then and there Kagome decided that she liked this side of Inuyasha way better then the surly hanyou she'd had to deal with every time she ran into him.

Watching them interact, laughing and oblivious to any and everything around them, Kagome admitted to herself that she felt a little left out and a tad lonely. But far be it for her to disrupt the obvious fun the two were having goofing around. It was a comforting sight, the two of them, and Kagome didn't want to ruin the mood they'd set around themselves.

However, she didn't have to worry about that for long when abruptly Inuyasha jumped up, grabbed a steel bar as it spun by and effortlessly slowed down the ride until it came to a halt, where Shaninri jumped off and stumbled around, giggling and waving her arms about. Inuyasha feigned a roar and scooped her up in his arms, spinning her around and eliciting even more laughter from the giddy half-demon girl.

Laughing herself, Kagome ambled over to the two of them and reached up to tickle the girl's exposed sides, staring up at the flushed, bright face of Shaninri Takashi.

"Ah! Nooo!" Squirming in her father's grasp, still giggling insanely, Kagome finally took mercy and allowed her father to lower her down to the ground, where she promptly flopped onto her butt and gasped for breath, all with a smile on her flushed face.

Feeling strangely winded herself, Kagome sucked in a breath and enjoyed the brief break. That is until the child suddenly bolted up and ran toward the large slide. Damn, but she recovered fast.

Blowing out his cheeks and cracking his neck, Inuyasha followed after her at a more sedate pace, Kagome falling into step beside him.

"So," she began, wanting to fill the awkward silence between them. Inuyasha grunted. "Shaninri says she's in first grade, but I've never seen her in school before. Does she attend another school in the area?"

Inuyasha looked as if she'd grown a second head and stared at her with a scowl. "Are you stupid, woman?" Kagome's mouth dropped but before she could respond, he continued. "In case you haven't noticed, wench, Shan's a half-demon, like me. Ain't no way they'd let a half-demon in a school full of pure demons and humans. So the only choice she has really is to be homeschooled."

Kagome started. She actually hadn't thought of that.

"And besides," he continued in a softer and lower tone, "I can't let Shan go through what I did back when I was a pup. She…doesn't understand yet that she's different than other demons and humans. That she's a mixture of both." He stopped walking and bowed his head, silver bangs hiding his eyes. "I just…I can't do that to her. She's too innocent, too…" He sighed. "Too pure."

Kagome was silent, a frown marring her features as she took all of this in. There was no doubt about what he said was true; half-demon's in general were frowned upon, scoffed at and treated less than the average human or demon.

Kagome suddenly felt the need to right that wrong and a strong sense of determination swept through her and she nodded resolutely to herself. She'd have a chat with Kouga the next time she saw him.

Even though that probably meant a promise of another date, but… Glancing back at the little girl having the time of her life sliding down the large steel slide, Kagome decided that it would definitely be worth it if it meant she'd get to teach this precious little girl along with her other amazing students.

"You're a teacher, right?"

The sudden question brought her back from her thoughts and she focused her attention on him. "Ah, yeah, yes, I am. I teach the first grade at Tokyo Elementary School here in town." She paused. "How'd you know?" She didn't recall telling him…

The older half-demon scoffed and turned his gaze, his features softening as he watched his little girl slide down the smooth steel once more. "You said you took your students here on class trips, so I assumed…" He trailed off with a shrug, stuffing his hands in his leather coat's pockets.

The school teacher blinked. "Oh. Right." She actually hadn't been counting on him listening when she'd said that, and the thought that he had been caused her cheeks to redden slightly.

"Daddy! Daddy, watch me!" Shaninri yelled from her location at the top of the slide, waving her arm and smiling widely.

Inuyasha returned her smile with a grin and waved back. "I'm watching, baby," he called and chuckled as she squealed on her descent down once more. How many times was that now? Thirteen? Ah well. It didn't matter, as long as his baby girl was having fun.

"And you?" Kagome asked, drawing his attention back to her. "You're last name is Takashi, so I'm assuming you work with, or even own the business Brothers Takashi Designs and Construction."

Surprised, the hanyou hadn't been counting on her to piece the two together and he nodded. "Uh, yeah. I'm manager of the construction part, and my half-brother owns it and manages the designing. Although I take part in both professions, designing houses _and_ building them." He shrugged and turned his attention back to his daughter, who had decided she'd had enough of the slide and was now riding on a plastic horse attached to a thick spring.

"Wow," Kagome said, impressed. "So you design houses _and _help build them?"

He shot her a look. "That's what I just said, isn't it?"

She leveled a glare at him. "Well no need to get all huffy with me. Jeez, it was just a question." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, turning away.

Inuyasha glowered at her back and grumbled, stuffing his hands back in his coat pockets. "Keh."

Shaking her head, Kagome sighed and focused her attention to the small half-demon that had somehow managed to climb up onto the monkey bars without their noticing. "Shaninri, honey, be careful up there! I don't want you falling and hurting yourself?"

"'Kay!" was the answer she got before the child jumped and immersed herself into the steel jungle gym.

Satisfied, Kagome glanced at the hanyou beside her and blinked at the strange look he was giving her. "What?"

Inuyasha blinked back and shook his head, looking away and trying to hide the pink in his cheeks. "It's nothing. Forget about it."

She didn't look like she believed him, but let it go anyway. "O…kay." Shrugging it off, Kagome wandered back over to the swings, still able to keep on an eye on the young hanyou child, and sat down, her hands coming up to grasp the cold chains holding it up. She was surprised when Inuyasha joined her, sitting in the one to her right, but she didn't say anything, instead just lightly pushing with her feet on the ground, swaying gently back and forth.

It was strange, the silence they fell into. It wasn't awkward like before, but an almost companionable quiet, where words were unnecessary and Kagome was grateful.

It went on for several peaceful minutes, the only sounds Shaninri's delightful laughter and the slight squeaking of Kagome's swing as she swayed back and forth. Inuyasha's feet remained planted on the ground, his elbows resting on his knees and his eyes focused on his daughter, a slight half-smile gracing his features.

Kagome silently decided he should smile more often.

But then suddenly a brilliant idea occurred to Kagome right then and she halted her swaying, her eyes rounding in realization as she sat up straighter in her swing.

Her half-demon companion noticed the sudden change and cocked a black brow at her, curious. "What?"

"Inuyasha…" she started, a slight frown creasing her brow. "You said that Shaninri's homeschooled, and that she's in first grade, right?"

Said half-demon frowned and stared at her. "Yeah…so?"

Rolling her eyes at his denseness, Kagome turned toward him, adamant. "So? _Hello_, I'm a first grade teacher and Shaninri's in first grade! It's perfect!" Excited now, Kagome beamed and clapped her hands, proud of herself for coming up with it on her own.

"Wait," Inuyasha said and she blinked, turning back toward him. He was shaking his head, a puzzled expression on his face. "Do you mean to say…_you_ wanna teach her? _My_ Shan? But…" He looked as if the idea was ludicrous and Kagome was quick to assure him.

"But Inuyasha, think about it," she cajoled, waving her hands in the air. She was determined to get him to see it her way. "I could teach Shaninri what she really needs to know for a first grader and I won't even charge you for it. I mean, sure, she has those workbooks you mentioned, but she needs somebody there that can adequately explain to her a certain problem in terms she can understand."

She paused to let it sink in, hope welling up in her heart as his contemplative expression. She pressed on, emboldened. "I adore her, I know she likes me, and you could even think of me as a…a babysitter when you go to work, or need to run somewhere. I already have all the papers for my students, all the supplies, and I have a qualified degree in teaching first grade students. C'mon, Inuyasha…you have nothing to lose! Plus, I'm sure those workbook's aren't exactly cheap." She inwardly crowed at the grimace on his face from the mention of the expensive homeschooled workbooks.

_And maybe I'll be able to make an honest woman out of myself from what I said earlier to Kouga. If he agrees, I most likely really _will_ have plans tomorrow night. Hopefully. _

Several minutes went by as Inuyasha digested his information, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow as he stared hard at the ground, lost in thought. He really couldn't argue with her. Those damn workbooks were hella expensive, and an architect can only earn so much. Sure, he got paid to lend a hand in constructing the buildings as well, but being a single father and raising an active five year old on his own wasn't exactly easy.

So…what _did_ he have to lose? She could watch him while he was at work and at the same time teach her what she needed to know in order to graduate into the second grade. And she'd said the lessons were free of charge, so that was definitely a plus. Still…there had to be something he was missing…he was sure of it.

Kagome anxiously watched him, biting her lip and twisting her hands in her lap. Vaguely she heard Shaninri in the background singing a little ditty to herself, happy as can be, and out of habit she gave a cursory glance in the child's direction. She was in the sandbox this time, sitting on the wooden ledge and attempting to make a sandcastle.

Satisfied she was alright, the school teacher turned her attention back to the girl's father, still waiting on an answer.

The elder half-demon thought it over several times and he couldn't find even one loophole in the whole plan. But…there was still one thing that was bothering him.

Directing his golden gaze back to the young woman beside him, Inuyasha studied her closely, delicately sniffing the air around him and didn't know what to think when he detected no smells of deceit or selfishness. Only anxiety as she awaited his response.

He locked gazes with her and vaguely wondered if someone's eyes could get any wider.

"Why?" he blurted.

Kagome started and blinked, confused. "Why what?"

He growled and repeated himself. "Why? Why would you do something so…so nice for a half-demon girl that you've only known for a day? I don't understand how someone could be so…considerate as to offer real lessons to a half-breed. And from a certified teacher, no less. What's in it for you? What do you have to gain for this?" He watched her closely, his face stern, jaw set.

Kagome's mouth dropped at the insinuation and her brow furrowed. But as fast as the angry arrived, it suddenly vanished and in its place was a sense of understanding. Of course he was right. Not just anyone would offer to teach their half-demon child only after knowing them for a day, so Kagome couldn't blame him for his suspicions. What's to say she wouldn't take advantage of the situation in some way, gain their trust, then savagely thrust it back in their faces by some despicable means?

She could see where he was coming from, and she wanted to reassure him that she would never, ever do to that him, or his adorable little half-demon daughter she already adored. "Inuyasha…" she began softly, an understanding smile gracing her features. He was looking at her, waiting for an answer. "I enjoy doing what I do. I love children as well, and I like to help them learn, to succeed in life." Her smile faded somewhat and her eyes grew distant as she looked away. "I love being able to just be there for them, to help them in any way I can so that they might understand something better if it's difficult for them." She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, enjoying the light breeze caress her face. "I chose my career because I enjoy teaching children something new and help them get better at it every day and my gain…" She suddenly turned back to him and smiled, her brown eyes shining. "The only gain I achieve is to see a student solve a problem all by themselves, without any help from me."

Inuyasha stared at her in astonishment, awed by the total genuine tone of voice she had, and the serene expression on her face as she gazed at him, patiently waiting for a response. Never before had be ever met something like this woman. She truly didn't care that Shaninri was a half-demon. She didn't care they both had dog ears, claws for fingernails, and strangely colored eyes and hair. Kagome Higurashi…accepted them as half-demons.

And he believed what she said. Every last word. And that angelic expression was going to be in his head for days.

Clearing his throat, looking away to hide the blush that he could feel surfacing on his cheeks, Inuyasha drifted his gaze to his daughter, merrily playing in the sandbox, oblivious to their conversation concerning her.

Kagome sat still, cocking her head to the side, waiting.

Finally he heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his silver hair, blowing out his cheeks. "Let me…let me talk it over with her and see what she thinks." He glanced askance at her. "Good?"

Trying not to let the excitement show on her face, but probably failing, Kagome sucked in a breath and nodded eagerly. "Y-yeah, sounds good." She smiled and he looked away again, scoffing softly.

Another few minutes of silence before Inuyasha broke it with a heavy sigh and he stood up from his swing, stretching his back. "We gotta get going," he announced. "Shan and I have a get-together with…someone and I wanna make sure we get there at a decent time." He started toward the sandbox and Kagome hopped up from her swing, trailing after him.

"Okay. I'd like to start on Monday – if she agrees, that is – so how about I stop by at your place tomorrow night? Is that alright, do you prefer earlier?"

He thought if over and nodded. "No, tomorrow night's good. Gotta work in the morning and Shan's gonna be at her aunt's so I'll just pick her up afterward and head back home." He suddenly stopped, pivoted and pointed across the massive baseball field and the street toward a two story home with a wraparound porch. "That house right there, the grayish one with the huge ass porch – that's our house. Be there at six and we'll see what happens. Got it?"

_Wow. I never woulda guessed. Lucky, being so close to the park… _Resisting the urge to pout, Kagome ignored how he practically demanded she be there at six and instead offered a tight smile instead. "Six sounds good, Mr. Takashi."

He glowered at her and scowled. "I told you, wench, don't call me that," he growled then stalked over to his daughter. Ignoring the snickers behind him, Inuyasha knelt down and informed his daughter it was time to go.

Shaninri pouted for a minute, but seemed to accept it and stood up from the sandbox, allowing her daddy to brush off the dirt on her skirt and shirt. Lastly, he adjusted her custom red beret on her head then lifted her into his arms.

Kagome trotted over to them and caught the hanyou child's gaze. She smiled. I hope you had a good time today, Shan."

The youth beamed at her and nodded enthusiastically, almost losing the French hat atop her head. "I had lots of fun, Miss 'Gome! Can we do it again sometime?!"

Kagome laughed and this time didn't even bother addressing her father. "Of course we can, sweetie. And remember, no running off on your own, okay?" She winked as Shaninri blushed, but waved goodbye all the same as Inuyasha started walking away toward their house across the field.

"Bye Miss 'Gome! Thank you!"

"Bye, Shan! You're welcome!" She paused and switched her gaze to the older half-demon. She arched a brow and placed a hand at her hip. "Goodbye, Mr. Takashi." She smirked at the low growl.

"It's Inuyasha, dammit!"

She heard Shaninri gasp, aghast. "_Daddy!_ You said a bad word!"

Kagome laughed as Inuyasha groaned.

It was a very successful day, if she did say so herself.

**-X-**

***** - Reference to the horror movie, _Jennifer's Body_. I haven't seen the previews for it, but it looks pretty damn good. –horror movie junkie– xD

****** - Horror movie _Sorority Row_. I wanna seeeeeeee.

Yup. Been another whole year since I've updated this…I broke my promise from the last chapter. I hope it doesn't become habit.

Please accept my sincerest apologies when I say that I am truly sorry for the long awaited chapter. I'm not gonna lie; there really was nothing holding me back from finishing this chapter. The first three pages of it have been on my laptop ever since last year but I couldn't get the motivation to finish it, until recently.

Now, I want all of you to know. I've said this before, but I really want it ingrained in your skulls that when I start a story, I fully intend to finish it. I will never leave a story abandoned. The most I will do is not update for a while, but as you can clearly see, I still do try to update when I can. I will always, always finish a story. I could never leave my readers hanging. And if it really comes down to me not wanting to finish a story, I'd simply make the next chapter the last one, somehow cramming everything into that final chapter to make it complete.

Just please believe me when I say this.

In other news, here's a real shocker: I broke my right ankle. XD Haw. I'm still beating myself up for it, since I had to be sent home from my college for two weeks. I miss my friends, but hopefully I'll be able to go back this weekend! I can't wait. I get a real cast next Tuesday, the 22nd. Right now it's in a splint, and hurts like a bitch, but I'll survive. I just can't wait until November. D: Then I'll be completely healed, hallelujah.

But I can't complain about the royal treatment that I've been getting at home. D Since I can't walk, my mom gets everything for me, and even my dad is asking if I need anything. I love them so much. ^_^ They truly are the world's greatest parents. To me, anyway. Haha. But lemme tell you…crutches are a _**ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS. **_My pits and hands hurt!

Welp, time to wrap this monster of a chapter up. I tried to make it longer than usual since it's been so long since I updated. I like the way it turned out, too, so we're all happy. I hope.

As always, feedback is adored and I love you all for putting up with me and my ridiculously long ass updates. e_e Just please bare with me. I promise this story will be finished, but no guarantees on speedy updates. Life just sucks at the moment.

Oh, and any grammatical errors or misspellings you might find is due to the fact that I'm drugged up on Ibuprofen and staying up to 12:46 am to finish this for you guys. Love me!

I love you all!!!!

Until next time,  
**_Keiz_**


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